Journal lubricator



March 3, 1931. J 1 HENNESSY 1,794,457

J OURNAL LUBRI CATOR Filed Aug. 15, 1927 Patented Mar. 3, 193.1

James J. HnNNE-ssy, or NEW YORK, N. y.

JOURNAL LUBRIcA'roR l y Applcationiled August `15, 1927. '.Seral No.` 212,916;

, My invention relates to f lubricators such as are adaptedpartieularly for use on yrailway rolling stock and in which the play of the journalsin their boxes is utilized to operate a pump toelevate lubricant from a reservoir to thejournal. Lubricators of this typev are illustrated iny various patents issued to me such, for instance,1as No. 1,412,741issued April 1,1, 1922 and improved lubricators ofV this type are disclosed in my copending aplplicationsSerialjNo. 742,253 filed October 7 1924 and Serial No. 107 ,654 filed May.8,'1926 and patented March 12,1929, Nos. 1,704,7 43 and,1,704,742respectively.rv Y

1n order to insure adequate lubrication of the journal under adverse conditions, such as cold Weather, slow speed and slight play of the journal in itsV box, it is necessary to provide a pump of suliicient capacity to function properly'. under these conditions. Obviously, Whenconditions are more favorable, such as Warm Weather, high speed, and'substantial pla-y ofthe journal in its box, thesame pump Will-feed a surplus amount of lubricant to the .journal whiclrivill be Wasted by centrifugal discharge from the journal; Itis the .main object vof, my invention to eliminate such Waste-1 j .,j Y' Lubrcatorsl of'fthis type utilize the ordinaryfcotton Wastev 'or other. packing for uni*- formly distributingthe lubricant to alarge areal lof the `journaland it is a further object of my invention to insure adequate distribution of lubricant by capillary attraction through such Waste ory packing. Y

Additionalobjects of my invention are to provide .improvements in a lubricator ldevice v whereby the same may be more readily manufactured, assembled, filled at intervalsand inspected. These and other detailed objects .of my .invention are attainedby the structure illustrated inthe accompanying drawings vin Which-f- I n l yFigure 1 is a `vertical longitudinal section through my improved lubricator and. show,- ingan adj acentportion of thewheel and jour'- nal Withvvhich the lubricator is assembled..

Figure '2 isa vertioalftransverse section taken on line 24-2 of Figure 1.

. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are detail sections taken substantially on the lines 3 3, 4-4, and 5--5 ofFigure 1. i

rvThe lubricator illustratedis designedfor use in locomotive journal boxes and comprises a body portion or'cellar lkWhich takes the place of theordinary cellar, and includes a lubricant reservoir 2. The .inner end Wall 3 of this body Iis shaped to fit about the journal A with which it is assembled. A sub-cellar 4 is jyieldingly supported upon a horizontal Wall of the body by means ofspring 5 andthe end-and sidewalls 6 and 7, respectively,- of

.this sub-cellar Vhavetheirupper edges shaped to enga-ge the journal A. The sub-cellar includes a chamber 8 in which is slidably mount- 'ed a contactrod 9 which projects through a s lot in-,bodywvall 3 ,and is adaptedA tobe reciprocated by thev hub H of the Wheel vand by a spring 10' in'thesub-,cellain A pump 70 i memberpll is fittedI into chamber 8 and is provided with suitable pas'sages12 and 13 provided With check valves 14 and l5, respective ly. It Willbe lunderstood that the reciprocal movement of the pump piston 16 in the pump 75 chamber .17 will force lubricant from the reservoir 2 up through passages v12 and 13 into the chamber; 8 and intothe upwardly extending conduit 18Whichterminates in a discharge opening at the faceof the journal s0 to be lubricated. n f

- 'Slidablein conduit 18 isa plunger 19 having an aperture from top tobottom which permits the passage therethrough of a thin jet of oil. When the pressure in chamber 8 S5 `and conduit 18 reaches a predetermined point,

plunger 19 is Alifted kfrom the bottom of couduit 18 and uneoversone or more outlets f2() .providedvingthe side ofvconduit 18 and'permits the iioyv of lubricant to that portion` oi .thegsub-cellar which is outside of chamber 8.

It will be seen that a pump, which is of suiicient capacity to insure a supply of lubricant to: the journal'under'all conditions, may be used Withoutnecessarily resulting in an oversupply of lubricant when the conditions tend toproduce the 4freest pumpingL operation, as *any surplus ,lubricant Will be :readily discharged through thezbjf-pass loutlets 20. A

pin serves to preventthe lossof plunger 19. 10o

Variations in the Weight of plunger 19 and in the size of its aperture and of the holes 2O in chamber 8 enable me to control the amount of lubricant supplied to the journal and to the Waste. l

A perforated member 21 in sub-cellar 4 serves a support for Waste, elevating the latter Vabove the bottom of the sub-cellar. The sides 7 ofthe sub-cellar are provided with drainage holes 22 through Whiclnthe lubricant, after rising above .the level of the bottom of the Waste, mayiiow back to the reservoir 2. application of lubricant to the lower portion of the Waste at all timesso -tbatia-llof.that portion of the Waste Which is in contact with the journal will be'supplying lubricant to the .journal'by capillary attraction inthe usual manner. j i i In order to'facilitate the application and removalof the -p ump and sub-cellar, I retain [he pump and sub-cellar in position by means of al removable cover 23 von the outer end of the body ofthe reservoir. The lower portion of this cover'has depending Vandlaterally e5:-

topj Wall 28 of the reservoir 2, this Wall Ybeing recessed as in'dicatedat 26V (Figure 3) to permit the `insertion and removal of lugsl. iVhen the cover is retracted from its normal position, lugs 2d serve to prevent upward movement of-'the coverY from the position show-n in FigureV 1. To hold the cover against lateral movement from its properv position,

I provide cover 23 with an 4inclined sleeve Q7 which is adapted to receive a springpressed pin 29 ivhichWi-ll project below the cover and engage the innerface ofthe end "Wall ofthe reservoir. Thehandle 30 on theouterend ot pin 29 aiiords-'a tingerhold for withdrawing the pin and permitting the-'cover 23' to be moved to the right tothe position in v-hich its lugs maybe passed through openings 26.

The reservoir 2iis lille'd'through a suitable opening Whichis provided with'V a closure 31 adapted to project downwardly through the opening in order to reduce loss by splashing of the lubricant in theireservoir. This elo'- sure is retained vin the cover bya lug 32 qWhich Willengage the bottom of the cover except when it is turned from the position shown in Figure liso that itv Will be in vertical alignment With the slot 33 provided in the side of the opcningforthe closure.` v-Achain 34 Vor similar fastening 'device tends to hovldft-he lug 32 in the: position shown-in FigureY 1. This larrangement preventsthe loss of the cover along the right-ofway due to the jarring of the driver boX. 5 A

kBy providing 'a lubricantbath for the'lovver portion .of the Wastetliere is vnodanger of the wasteeverd'rying ou d idfl'iiianith'erefore use more restrictedpassagevfays frthenliibicanty through'the pump and 'the conduit leadaeaee eeeiaheh @e tiene This construction insures .thelcant through the journal conduit in order to saturate the body of Waste.

My structure preferably includes two or more spaced vertical ribs 36 extending transi versely of sub-cellar 7' totbe-height'of outlet holes 22.L These'ribs are for the purpose of restricting the spread of the oil throughout the. lower. portion ofA tho Waste and before the oilhas reached the level of holes 22. This Willdessen the amount of oil Which is Wasted by being thrown off ofthe journal at its ends.

The leveliof thefreeoil will not rise above holes 22, but Waste above these holes and to the sides of ribs 36 will be satnratedby capillary attraction suiiiciently to avpply'lubricant over the entire lower surface of the journal. By varying the distance between ribs 86 and by varying the height of these ribs,;the application of oil to 'the' journal may .be conftrolled. It will beunderstood thatl journals operating under different loads and at dif- I ferentspeeds will be best served by providing tend-ing lugs aradapted to slide beneath the the necessity of anymachine Work on the body except the provision ofthe tapped hole for the drain 85 and the covers 23 can be made the same size for'all of my devices Whereas formerly, because of the method of holding the cover in place, it was necessary to adapt the cover and adjacent portion of the cellar for different sizes or styles yof driving boxes. Obviously the advantages of my invention can be attainedby modifying'the details of construction and I contemplate the exclusive use of lallsuch variations of the described device as fall Within the scope of my claims.

I claim if Y In a journal lubricator, a reservoir, a waste=holding subcellar therein, a Waste support in said sub-cellar, a lubricant conduit in said sub-cellar adapted to lead to the journal to be lubricated, and mea-nsv in said .conduit for by-passingsurplus lubricant from said conduit independently-of said 'supporter Waste therein to therinteriorcf said sub-cellar outside ofsaid conduit. Y

2. .Inga journal lubricator, a lubricant reservdir, a sub-cellar therein, a. WastesupvportV 1n said sub-cellar and spacedjfrem the bottom, thereof, a lubricant l conduit in said sub-cellar adaptedto lead from said reservoir to the journal tobe lubricated independently Yof ivaste in Vsaid support;'andmean's inisaid conduitjprovigding a by-,pass therefrom to the ieelriowfeid mittlerem was@ "jasper" mancanti g a igieniche sub-'cellarl therein; arwaste [supres oiA parel-fnstia'siteiiarkaaagspgeaaan 'the llO bottom thereof, a lubricant conduit in saidV sub-cellar adapted-'to lead from said reservoir to the journal to be lubricated independently of waste in said support, means in said conduit providing a bypass therefrom to said sub-cellar below said waste support, and an outlet in said sub-cellar above the bottom of said waste support and below the discharge end of said conduit. Y

4. In a journal lubric-ator, a reservoir, a. waste-holding sub-cellar therein, a lubricant conduit in said sub-cellar ada-ptedto lead to the journal to be lubricated, a pump for forcing lubricant from said reservoir through said conduit, and a by-pass from said conduit to the portion of said sub-cellar outside ot said conduit, said by-pass being adapted to function upon the presence of a predetermined pressure on the'lubricant in said conduit.

5, In a journal lubricator, .a reservoir, a

waste-holding sub-cellar therein, a lubricant conduit in said sub-cellar adapted -to lead to the journal to be lubricated and terminating in a passage-way having a. discharge end and an outlet through one side spaced from said end and leading to said sub-cellar outside of said conduit, and an apertured plunger movably mounted in said passage-way and normally' obstructing said outlet but movable to a position in which it does not obstruct said outlet. Y

6. In a journal lubrieator, a-"reservoir, a waste-holding sub-cellar therein, a lubricant conduit in said vsub-cellar adapted to lead to the journal to be lubricated and terminating in an upright passage-way having a dirscharge opening at its upper end, a plunger slidably mounted v1n said passage-way andA provided with avertical aperture, there being an outlet through the side of said passageway leading to said sub-cellar outside of said conduit and adapted to be uncovered by said plunger when the latter is raised in said passage-way. I

7.In a .journal lubricator, a lubricant reservoir having a filling` opening in its top wall, a removable closure for Vsaid opening extending downwardly therethrough and having a lateral projection forengaging the under surface of said top wall, there being a groove at one side of said opening for permitting passage of said projection when aligned therewith, and a connection between n said closure and said reservoir at one side'of said opening for normally holding said projection out of alignment with said groove.

8. In a journal 'lubricatoig a lubricant reservoir, a sub-cellar therein, a waste support in said sub-cellar and spaced from the bottom thereof, a lubricant conduit insaid sub-cellar adapted to lead to the journal to be lubricated, means in said conduit providinga-v by-'pass to said sub-cellar below said waste support, an voutlet in'said sub-cellar means in said sub-cellar for restricting the spread of lubricant below said outlet.

9. Ina journal lubricator, a lubricantreservoir,a sub-cellar therein, a waste support in said sub-cellar and spaced from the bottom thereof, a lubricant conduit in said sub-cellar adapted to lead to the journal to be lubricated, means in said conduit providing a by-pass to said sub-cellar belon7 said Waste support, an outlet from said sub-cellar above the bottomy of said waste support, and upstanding transverse partitions between said outlet and the ends of said sub-cellar.k

10. In a journal lubricator, a. reservoir, a sub-cellar elevated above the body of said reservoir and adapted to hold lubricant to a certain level,7a waste support in said subcellarY belowsaidlevel, a lubricant conduit leading from said reservoir to the journal to be lubricated, andmeans for by-'passing surplus lubricant from said conduit to said subcellar and from said sub-cellar to said reservoir. Y f

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix' my signature this 22 day of July, 1927.

u JAMES J. HENNESSY. 

